Chapter 12 - Racing Pulse

The early morning sunlight filtered through the vines covering the hut's door, and Roxy's eyes fluttered open. She yawned and brought up a paw to rub her eyes, trying to clear away the lingering feeling of sleepiness.

She smiled. Upon Roxy's face was a bright, genuine smile. It was the first time she could think of where she had woken up in this place with a smile.

Roxy's dreams had been sweet. Usually her slumber was plagued with nightmares or mournful dreams of her home and her master, but not this time. She was still trapped in this village, and she was still in a dangerous place, but right now she was waking up with a flock of Butterfree in her stomach.

The good kind of Butterfree in her stomach.

Roxy lazily rolled onto her back, feeling the brush of fur against her side. She turned her head and glanced to her right, still with a warm smile, and let out a happy sigh. She gazed fondly at the sleeping form of Makari, still with one of his paws draped across her stomach.

She carefully nestled herself in a little closer to him, taking care not to wake him. To her, his fur felt softer than the bedding they were both laying upon, and maybe even softer than her bed at home. He made a great pillow. She could still feel the shock of his Static, but she had gotten used to it and now it kind of felt nice. It was like that little jittery feeling one gets when one is excited.

He was still there, right next to her. Roxy hadn't expected him to be gone when she woke up, but it was still nice to see that he was still there. Just looking at him made her heart start thumping and her cheeks start glowing.

Roxy was not one for taking risks. Now, though, she could not have been happier that she had taken that risk last night. Everything seemed better now. The horizon looked brighter and the sun seemed warmer.

Makari shifted, yawned softly, and woke up. It was sort of remarkable to see how quickly he went from asleep to awake. Roxy surmised that it was because he was a warrior and was used to getting up at the crack of dawn.

A quick glance outside told her that this wasn't the case on this particular morning.

"G'morning, sleepy-head…" Roxy whispered.

Makari rolled his head to the side to look at her, and adopted the same warm smile as hers. He seemed just as happy to see her as she had been to see him. "Good morning."

Roxy rolled over again so that she was on her side, but now facing him. For a moment, she lost herself in his beautiful hazel eyes. Heavens, how had she not realized how attractive he was?

"Sleep well?" Makari asked.

"Mhmmm…" Roxy said with a dreamy grin, "Best sleep I've had in a long while…"

Makari chuckled softly and leaned in to nuzzle noses with her. Roxy giggled and returned the gesture. They stopped for a moment and stared into one another's eyes, and then, as if on cue, they both leaned in for a soft, tender kiss. Roxy could feel fireworks in her chest.

When the kiss broke, Roxy found herself breathless. A small, cynical part of her was amazed that their previous kisses had not, in fact, been a dream.

They looked at each other in silence for a moment, then both laughed quietly. Roxy felt like a schoolgirl from those weird TV shows her master watched called 'anime'. She had this rush of excitement within her as if she was doing something wrong, even though she wasn't, and it was exhilarating because she didn't feel hesitant or afraid at all.

Roxy giggled. "Your fur's all messy…"

"Yes, it gets like that in the morning," Makari replied.

"I…kinda like how it looks…"

Makari just chuckled and nuzzled her nose again. After another moment of silence, Makari said, "We should get up."

"Mnnn…" Roxy whined, "But I like this, right here…Can't we stay for five more minutes?"

Makari glanced out the doorway. "Taka is probably waiting for you already."

"Awww…" Roxy said playfully, lightly batting Makari's foreleg, "Now why'd you hafta bring him up?"

"Because he is my brother?"

"Excuses…"

The two laughed once more as they sat up. Makari walked over to fetch some breakfast, while Roxy simply sat there and stretched her limbs. She felt amazing. Better than she had felt in months. It was incredible how quickly the two of them had clicked together once the thick ice had been broken. After Makari had kissed her back last night, she suddenly felt like she could do anything and say anything in front of him. That kind of freedom was something she didn't usually feel, besides with her master.

The two shared a lovely breakfast, which included some delectable Pechas and Orans. Roxy found herself giving Makari Lillipup-eyes the whole time. Makari's presence had always made her happy, but this had grown exponentially.

It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist anymore.

"Thanks again for breakfast," she said once she was finished.

"I am so glad you enjoyed."

Roxy felt her heart melt a little when she saw that familiar warming smile.

"It looks like today will be sunny," he said with another glance out the door.

"Oh, good!"

"Yes, it might even get warmer later…" He turned and looked at her cheerfully. "We will have to spend some time outdoors in the sunlight when I get back."

At first, Roxy nodded and smiled excitedly. Then, she frowned. "Wait…'Get back'? Where are you…?" Suddenly, it dawned on her. "Oh, right…You have to catch up on patrol stuff…"

He smiled sadly at her. "I am afraid so."

"So, you…"

"I will be back when your training with Taka is over," he reassured her.

Roxy's ears fell flat against her head and she glanced away from him, biting her lip. Just like that, all of that newfound happiness and satisfaction had drained right out of her.

"…Roxy?" he spoke, stepping over to her, "What is the matter?"

"I…I just…"

She gasped lightly when he hugged her from behind, nuzzling the back of her neck. "Please, tell me what is on your mind."

Roxy turned herself around so she was facing him, keeping herself within his embrace. "Do you have to?"

Makari was silent for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes," he replied simply.

"But…B-but, you might get hurt!"

He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Roxy, you need not worry about me. I will be fine."

"There's danger out there! Y-you might…" She shivered a little. "You might be killed…" Suddenly, horrible images started to invade her mind. A thousand sights of Makari's bloody, mangled body assaulted her.

"…That…That is always a possibility," Makari said, "But, Roxy, I have been on patrol countless times. I know my way around combat, and I have brethren that I trust to come to my aid when I need it. Remember, Roxy, our patrol is what keeps this village and everyone inside of it safe."

"I…I know…but…" Roxy muttered. She laid her head against his chest, staring blankly at the wall.

"I will be fine," Makari said as he gently started to rub her back reassuringly, "Just focus on your training with Taka, okay? I will be back before you know it."

Roxy took a deep breath and tried to calm her unsteady nerves. This was not really anything new. She had waved goodbye to him many times, watching him head off to go on patrol and then welcoming him back hours later. It was something she had witnessed him do at least 20 or 30 times since she had arrived.

Now, though, it was different. It felt different to her. Of course his safety had always been important to her, but now it was somehow even more important. She treasured him so much more now. The thought of Makari putting himself in danger scared her worse than ever before, and she strongly wished that he wouldn't do it at all. The danger and the fear seemed multiplied tenfold. She couldn't lose Makari. Not after…

"O-okay…" she whispered, nuzzling the soft fur on his chest. She then lifted her head and stared into his eyes. She couldn't keep her expression from showing worry, but she did try to smile. "I-I'm sorry…I know this is important."

Makari took his paw and gently held it to Roxy's cheek. She shivered at the contact. "Try not to worry, okay?"

Roxy simply nodded. The two gazed fondly at one another, smiling softly.

"Come on," Makari spoke softly afterwards, "Taka will only get angrier."

Roxy gave a bittersweet chuckle. "Yeah…" she bemoaned.

Makari took her paw and led her out of the hut. The sun was already in the sky, and many of the villagers were up and about. A few of them gave the pair friendly waves once they emerged.

Roxy turned to Makari, knowing that she should just say 'goodbye' and wait until they were reunited later. Yet, she didn't want to let go of his paw.

"Just promise…" she whispered, "Promise me you'll be careful?"

He smiled sweetly at her. "I promise," he said without hesitation.

The pair shared a short, but passionate kiss.

"I will see you soon," Makari whispered.

"G…G'bye…"

It seemed like things were moving in slow motion, and Roxy couldn't deny the deep sense of dread she suddenly felt in her chest, but Makari's paw separated from hers and the warrior Pikachu walked off into the village.

Roxy was left standing there, utterly unsure of how to feel. The anxiety-riddled part of her brain was trying to convince her that she had just said her final words to Makari, a notion that she tried her best to ignore.

"Be safe…" she whispered.

After a moment, she realized that she had just been standing there like a statue for a while. She snapped out of her stupor and gave her head a little shake. Then, she paused. Glancing to the side slowly, she found that she was being looked at.

Stared at.

In a moment, Roxy quickly became the world's first all-red Pikachu. She awkwardly laughed and raised her paw to wave at them. Unfortunately, Roxy had realized too late that she had just kissed a prominent member of the tribe in public where everyone could see her.

"Well…" she murmured to herself, "So much for tact and confidentiality…"

Roxy felt like she could just die on the spot from embarrassment. Although, while some were still giving her odd looks, no-one was marching up to her to demand an explanation or anything like that. She supposed that going public had to happen eventually anyway.

She wanted to crawl back into the hut and wait for the stares to go away, but she knew she had to challenge that thought. Going against what her anxiety told her to do was the only thing that had gotten her any success around here. So, she forced herself to ignore everyone else and marched straight over to the training area.

"I need a bath…" she murmured.

It was almost noon at this point. The sun was nearly at its highest point, so she was far beyond late. She reasoned that it could be excused, though. After all, a lot had happened in the last 24 hours, and she figured that she would be able to handle running the lesson a little late.

When she arrived at the training area, it was empty. Taka was nowhere to be seen, leaving her standing there and unsure of what to do. "Huh…" she muttered.

She took a look around the nearby area, but still couldn't find him. Eventually, she decided to ask someone, though she tried her best to pick out someone who had not just witnessed her totally public display of affection.

"Tanari?" she called out, holding up her paw.

The Pikachu turned and gave her a friendly smile. "Good morning, Roxy."

"Have you seen Taka?"

"Ah…" Tanari glanced away, "I saw him not long ago. He was heading off into the woods. I saw him standing here earlier too."

"Oh…" Roxy said, deflating a little. It seemed like Taka had gotten tired of waiting for her and had just left. "Well, thank you."

"You are welcome."

As the other Pikachu headed off, Roxy stood there for a moment in thought. Taka was going to be furious with her come tomorrow's lesson. That is, if he was even going to keep training her.

"Oh dear…" she murmured. Truth be told, she was a tiny bit glad that she didn't have to do any rigorous training today, but only a little. She had come to really see the value in these lessons and wasn't terribly keen on the idea of falling behind.

"I guess it can't be helped…" she said after a while. With nothing else to do, she set off at a leisurely pace through the village. The others weren't staring at her anymore, which made her feel a little more comfortable being out in the open, but there was still that lingering feeling of embarrassment. Why did social conventions have to be so hard…?

She eventually decided that now was as good a time as any to take that bath. She could remember the location of the part of the river she had bathed in last time. She was longing for a nice, relaxing scrub, and so picked up her pace. She headed back to Makari's hut, as the river was located just behind it.

Once she drew close to his hut, however, she slowed to a stop. "What'm I doing…?" she whispered. Roxy asked herself if she had really just been about to go outside of the village by herself. Makari wasn't there to escort her and she didn't feel comfortable asking anyone else. Had she really been about to just waltz out there without a second thought?

Roxy realized that, for a moment, she had. It was a strange thought that she didn't quite know how to respond to. Had she just become complacent without even realizing it, or had her mind just been in too many places at once?

She still really wanted to take a bath though, which left her with a conundrum. She didn't really want to wait around and then have to ask Makari to escort her to the bath like he was a butler. Makari had mentioned that her attack at the river last time had been due to a patrolling error. What were the odds something like that would happen again?

She also realized that going off on her own would probably make Makari really proud of her.

Roxy started to head off into the woods, but paused as a thought occurred to her. She briefly turned around and entered Makari's hut, where she found five wooden spears lying against the wall. There were usually six, but Makari had taken one with him. Roxy picked one up, hoping he wouldn't mind.

She then exited the hut and headed back towards the bathing area of the river. A strange thrill jolted through her body at what she was doing, and she was surprised to find that she wasn't as nervous as she thought she would be. She had learned well enough how to use a spear, at least to defend herself until other villagers came to her aid, so she would be much safer bringing one with her.

Still, though, she kept her eyes and ears wide open as she left the village behind. She was getting tired of being jumped by predators. If she had to fight one, at least she wanted to face it head on. Despite her newfound bravery, her heart still pounded in her chest.

Not far from where the river was, Roxy saw another Pikachu walking through the trees in the distance. Roxy knew that this was a villager who was out on patrol, and she smiled at her good luck. "Hey!"

The Pikachu spun on his heels, wooden bow cocked and ready to fire an arrow, but she immediately relaxed when she saw who had spoken. "Roxy?"

"Hello," Roxy spoke in a friendly tone, "I was just going to bathe in the river."

The other Pikachu blinked, as if expecting more. "Okay…?"

"Well…" Roxy scratched the back of her neck. "I don't mean to point paws at anyone, but I was attacked last time I took a bath."

Now, her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! Yes, that is right." She then smiled and thumped a paw against her chest. "Not to worry, this time. We will keep the area safe."

Roxy smiled in gratitude. "Thanks so much. I trust you guys, I really do. What you're doing is really, really great."

The Pikachu smiled, and Roxy got the strange impression that this villager wasn't often thanked for her work.

With her two safety measures in place, Roxy finally turned and headed directly for the river's edge. In a couple of minutes, she had reached it without issue. Just like before, there was no-one nearby that Roxy could see, but she knew that patrol's invisible security system would be working its magic.

Roxy remembered how chilly the water had been last time, and it was now later in the season so it was bound to be colder. She wasn't keen on the idea of a cold bath, but quickly psyched herself up into the idea of just getting it over with. She silently counted to three, took a deep breath, and jumped right in.

For a few intense seconds, her whole body was assaulted by cold. After breaching her head above the surface and letting her body get adjusted, though, she found it wasn't quite as bad as she had been expecting. It wasn't completely comfortable, but it wasn't cold enough not to be relaxing.

Roxy grinned in contentment as she dunked her head under once more. Her master usually bathed her once every other day, so she had really been wanting one. She broke through the surface once more and gave herself a quick scrubbing.

She sighed. "That's better…"

Despite the water's temperature, Roxy found the river's waters to be therapeutic. It was just as relaxing as the last bath she had taken here. If it were a little warmer, she probably could've stayed there all day.

She didn't completely relax, though. Roxy could remember all too well what had happened the last time she had let her guard down. She still held the spear in her paws, despite being in the water. She imagined that she must've looked a little silly, but she didn't care.

A few peaceful minutes passed by as Roxy scrubbed herself clean a little bit more. It was really quiet out in the woods today. Even the sound of the moving river wasn't as loud as usual. Roxy got the feeling that, even if she wasn't fully trained, she would be able to hear anyone approaching her.

Roxy stretched her forelegs and sighed once more, then turned around to face the bank. A furry form stood before. Legs. Paws. Claws. Teeth! Roxy screamed in terror and stepped back as much as she could in the water, quickly bringing up her spear to hold in front of her. This caused a spray of water to be flung off the end of the wooden weapon.

The water fell across the Luxio's face, dampening her fur. She gave Roxy a mildly irritated look.

"Oh…!" Roxy uttered as her heart returned to normal speed, "I-It's just you…"

Kiga smirked. "I suppose it is a good thing I was here to take a bath anyway."

Roxy gave an awkward smile up to her, the Luxio who also happened to be the mate of Adi the frightening Luxray predator. "Eheheheh…" she said, letting out a strained laugh, "Sorry about that…"

Kiga shook her head. "Pay it no mind." After a moment, she added, "Nice reflexes."

Blinking once, Roxy gazed up at her. "Really?"

The Luxio chuckled, gazing down at her with an expression that could only belong to a feline. "Considering that I made no sound as I approached, you stepped out of my paw's reach before I could slash your neck." Her voice dipped to a whisper on those last three words.

Roxy's eyes shot open wide. "Y…What…?" she stammered.

Kiga simply chuckled once more, a sly smile on her face, as she slowly stepped into the water nearby. "I was merely teasing."

"…Oh," Roxy said, letting go of a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She watched as Kiga stepped into the river beside her, getting all four of her paws wet before laying down in a shallow part.

"You're, um…" Roxy spoke, "You're gonna take a bath here? Too?" She paused. "…Withme?" she murmured in a quiet voice.

Kiga had her eyes closed, and was clearly enjoying the feel in the water. "Adi and Adikai are out…" she said in a slow tone, "Times like these are when I choose to relax."

"Oh, um…Okay…" For a moment, Roxy just stood there. She didn't move, unsure of what to do with herself. She honestly couldn't tell if she was feeling bashful or not. One way or another, she had never shared a bath with someone before. On the other paw, she had gone swimming with others in lakes and rivers before. In the end, she simply decided to be glad that she was done cleaning herself.

As Roxy moved to another shallow part and sat down, she pointedly turned her gaze away from the Luxio. Given the rural nature of this village, it was unlikely that Kiga minded being looked at while bathing in the river. However, Roxy decided to treat her as she herself would want to be treated.

"Are you trained yet?"

Roxy was startled by the sudden question. "Huh? What?" she stammered.

Kiga was giving her an unreadable expression. "Your training with Taka," she repeated, "Has it been completed?"

"Uhhh…" Roxy hesitated. It was the first time anyone besides Makari or Taka had really talked to her about her training, or at least its completion. The question made her feel nervous. Was she about to get reprimanded for not learning fast enough.

"N…No…" she finally answered. When Kiga didn't reply right away, she continued. "I, uh…It's going, though. Day by day, heh… It's just all new to me and really hard."

"Hm. I see," Kiga said, and then rolled herself over in the water. She laid on her back in the shallows, with only her paws and her head above the surface.

There was an awkward silence. Kiga glanced at her and then chuckled. "I was not meaning to imply anything, Roxy," she said, "I was merely curious."

"Oh…" Roxy said for the third time that day. She was starting to get tired of the constant cycle of anxiety and relief with this conversation. "I'm trying my best."

"I know you are, dear."

"You do?"

Kiga rolled back onto her stomach. "I understand better than you might think how difficult the perils of keeping predators away can be."

Roxy blinked, and then realized what Kiga meant. Kiga the predator. "Right…"

Kiga simply smiled and shook her head. "Our family has been a part of this tribe for generations. It is such an odd arrangement, but Adi's father lived here, and his father, and his father…"

"Yeah…I gotcha…" Roxy murmured, "Y'know, like…living among…prey…or whatever…"

Kiga paused and gave her a look. "Roxy, am I causing you distress? If so, I do apologize."

"Oh, no! No! No, not at all…" Roxy said, holding up her paws, "No, it's fine, I just…" She looked for an answer for a moment, then sighed. "The truth is that almost everything still causes me distress, even just a little…"

"I see…"

"Heh…Is it obvious that I still don't belong here?"

"Is it…?" Kiga replied with a gentle smirk.

Roxy glanced down, looking at her shimmering reflection in the water. "I really don't…"

"You talk as if you are afraid…Even as if you are afraid of me, and yet you are here bathing on your own, and you have not run away from me. I can see that you trust me. Is that correct?"

Roxy glanced up at the Luxio, pausing for a moment in thought. "I…Yeah, I guess I do trust you. You're a part of the Thunder Clan, after all."

Kiga nodded. "As are you."

That statement alone made her stop for a moment. She stared at Kiga, processing that. She tried to remember if anyone else, besides Makari, had ever before said that she was officially a part of the tribe. She wasn't sure of the answer, but she did know that hearing Kiga say it made her smile a little.

"I guess I am, aren't I?" she said with a chuckle, "Life is just so crazy…"

"We are happy for your company," Kiga said as she stood up and waded herself deeper into the river, submerging all but her head.

"Well, thank you!" Roxy said with a smile.

"I know that one day you will be as strong a fighter as the rest of us, but there is no hurry to reach that day. You will get there on your own."

Roxy paused for a moment in thought. "Kiga?" she eventually spoke up, "Can I ask you a question?"

Kiga first dunked her head underwater for a few seconds, but then turned to her and said, "Hm? What is it, Roxy?"

"Do you…you and Adi…go on patrol too?"

"Why, of course dear," she said with a nod.

"And you, um…fight off predators?"

"Naturally."

Roxy gave this a bit of thought. To her uninformed mind, it was a bit difficult to imagine a predator like Kiga taking up a defence position around a mostly-prey village. Especially when she considered that the Luxray family was an omnivorous species and needed to eat meat to survive. It was an interesting, and even a little unnerving, example of contrast.

"We are all warriors in this village, Roxy," Kiga replied, "Even Miri in her own special way is a warrior on the grand battlefield. We all must do our part to protect one another, because we are more than just a random assortment of Pokémon gifted with thunder…We are a family."

Upon hearing this, Roxy was now picturing it in a different way. It was kind of like a bully standing up against other bullies, at least to an extent. She had already come to trust that the Luxio and her family would not harm her, nor anyone else in the village, but now she was starting to see more of the connection. She was a warrior, just like Makari and Taka and everyone else.

Roxy glanced down at herself, seeing that she was clean, and decided to get out before the cold water made her sick. "Thanks for talking to me," she said as she stepped out of the water and gave herself a quick shake to dry off.

"It was a pleasure speaking with you as well," Kiga replied.

"You wouldn't happen to have seen Taka, have you?"

The Luxio shook her head.

"Ah…Well…" She glanced down at the spear still in her paws. Kiga's words echoed in her mind, and she thought for a moment about her training. Her goals had changed so much since she had first arrived in the forest. "I, uh…I think I'm gonna go train now…"

"On your own?"

"Mhm… I dunno where Taka is, but I really should be practicing anyway." She turned and smiled at Kiga. "Besides, Makari will be back before long!"

"Ah, yes," Kiga replied with a nod, "Well, that should be fun. I can tell you that training with your mate is a lot more enjoyable."

If Roxy's brain were a computer, it would have totally bugged out and shut down with steam pouring out of the casing. She shot Kiga a stupefied look and moved her mouth uselessly for a few seconds, sputtering but not finding the words.

"Wh- How- I'm- He's…It's just- We're not-" Any other words, or attempts at making words, were covered up by one of the most powerful blushes she had ever experienced in her life.

Kiga tilted her head. "Is…something wrong?"

Roxy reached up with her paws and dragged her ears down in front of her eyes, turning to face away from Kiga. "I-i-it's…It's not like…"

"Are you two not mates? Some of our brethren witnessed you two kissing."

"Yes! Yes…" Roxy stammered, "I- It's…Yeah, we kissed and we're probably gonna kiss some more and there's no point in hiding it or anything but I dunno why we'd even hide it and stuff…" She paused for just a moment. "I-I-I like him, and he likes…but it's not…we're…"

Feeling like her face and heart were both going to explode, Roxy just groaned in frustration and shook her head. "I-It's no big deal, I gotta go, bye!"

Roxy then ran away, her paws covering her face, and somehow feeling even more flustered than during her first kiss.

Roxy practiced on her own for a couple of hours, which went pretty well. It was uplifting to see that her performance was improving, even on her own. The nice thing about not practicing with Taka was that she could take a rest whenever she wanted.

At some time past noon, she wandered away from the training area for a break. She was hungry, but realized there was a bit of a conundrum. All of her food had previously been given to her by Makari, and she had no idea where he kept it. Frustrating though it may have been, it wasn't that big of a deal though. Makari was due to come back within the hour anyway.

She wandered aimlessly through the village, waving hello to some of the Pikachu she knew. It was a quiet, slightly overcast day and not much was happening in the village. She had seen all that the village had to offer already, and so it wasn't long before she was bored. After meandering for a bit, she found a log near the village centre and sat upon it. Still, there was no sign of Taka.

Roxy had dropped the spear back at Makari's hut, so now she was simply left to twiddle her paws. She wanted someone to talk to, but everyone else seemed either busy or otherwise occupied. Really there wasn't much to do except let her mind wander.

Of course, the first thing she thought about was home. For a moment, she felt a little pang of guilt that she hadn't been thinking about home as much as before, but she shook that off. Home was no longer a hole in her heart, but rather a goal she was working towards. She knew she couldn't let herself get sidetracked by feeling down.

At the same time, she still worried about her master's safety. She hoped with all of her heart that her master was safe and alive, waiting back home for her. Going home just wouldn't be the same if her master wasn't there.

Roxy's ears perked up as she suddenly heard a commotion. She glanced around for a minute, trying to see where it was coming from, and then got up. Something was happening nearby. Pokémon were yelling, but they didn't sound fearful so it probably wasn't an attack. Roxy's curiosity was outweighing her trepidation.

She passed by a few trees and huts and eventually saw a gathering of villagers. They were near to the edge of the village, on the opposite end from Makari's hut. Many of the Pikachu and other villagers there looked angry, but few were saying anything.

"What is the meaning of this?" a voice shouted above the crowd. Roxy immediately knew who it belonged to.

Roxy squeezed herself into the crowd, though taking care to stay towards the back, and looked ahead to see Natoka standing in the middle of the gathering. His forelegs were folded across his chest and he looked very cross. Ozu was standing nearby, but he seemed to be letting the bigger Raichu do the talking.

Standing across from them, with the crowd giving him a wide berth, was Tazoka. Roxy gasped at the sight of the Excadrill, standing there with an almost suave grin on his face. He looked extremely cocky, even amidst a whole tribe of Pokémon giving him death glares all at once.

"My, my…" Tazoka said in that smooth tone of voice that made Roxy's skin crawl, "Is this how you greet your guests?"

"What are you doing here?" Natoka demanded.

Roxy shivered on the spot. She tried to hide herself behind others so that the Excadrill wouldn't see her if he looked over. At least he was here alone.

"Now then, Natoka, perhaps you could change your tone of voice? We are all friends here, are we not?"

"We have already given you the berries for this moon," Natoka stated, "There is nothing left for you until the next cycle of the moon."

"Yes," Tazoka said with a raise of his claws and a step forward, "And we have greatly enjoyed your generous gift. Thank you so much."

"You know what our agreement was…" Roxy could just hear Natoka losing his patience quickly in the way he spoke.

"Yes, yes, our agreement," Tazoka said with a lazy wave of his claw.

"So, I will ask you one more time…" Natoka paused, and then he practically shouted, "Why are you here?"

Roxy caught it. It was just the briefest moment in time, but Tazoka shot a devilish gaze at the Raichu, his eye practically twinkling in mischief. He quickly covered it up with his phony smile and started chuckling.

"Because I am hungry," he said, acting completely nonchalant.

Many of the villagers, including the two Raichu, glanced at one another in confusion.

"I figured," Tazoka continued, "that I would stop by and pick up a few more berries. The Earth Tribe loved them oh so much, after all."

"What-?" Natoka started to say.

"So I am here to take another basket or two. When can you have them ready?"

All at once, a murmur of confusion overcame the crowd. Many of the villagers could not help but express their bewilderment at what the Excadrill was saying.

"What are you talking about?" Natoka boomed angrily, "Where do you get the audacity?"

Tazoka simply held his claws clasped behind his body, gazing up at the Raichu with an impish little smirk.

"You are too early, Tazoka," Ozu spoke up, "The agreement was to provide your tribe with food upon every cycle of the moon. In exchange-"

"I am well aware of the circumstances," Tazoka said, holding up his claw, "There is no need to bore me with the details. I just thought that your tribe would be only too happy to provide us with a few measly berries."

Natoka growled, actually growled, at Tazoka.

"The agreement was," the Excadrill continued, "that if you give us food, we will leave you alone. I think it is quite clear who the dominant party is in this little arrangement, would you not say? My tribe wants food, and they want it right now. If you give me the food…then we will leave you alone."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Understand?" Tazoka spoke venomously.

"This is an outrage!" Natoka exclaimed, "An insult! Our two tribes have coexisted peacefully with this agreement, but these were terms that were agreed upon long ago. My father and your father shared a happy, friendly existence together. We shall not provide you with more food simply because you want more."

"Oh really…?" Tazoka said softly.

Natoka punctuated his statement by crossing his forelegs and simply giving a defiant look.

Tazoka shrugged. "Honestly, I do not see what the problem is. What I want is not very much. My tribe wants some food, and you have food. You will all survive without it, I am sure."

The Raichu growled again, louder this time.

Roxy shrunk back, her ears laying flat against her head. This was starting to look like trouble. She wondered if now would be the best time to get the heck out of there. Though, part of her wanted to find out where this all went.

"Do not worry yourself, Natoka, Ozu…" Tazoka said as he casually began to stroll forward, "I will just be taking my baskets and I will be on my way. Our tribe will continue to leave you alone. There is no need to be concerned about that."

"Absolutely not," Natoka boomed, more than a hint of finality in his voice.

Tazoka actually chuckled in response. He closed his eyes, shrugged once more, and there was that smirk again. "And…what exactly are you going to do about it?" he asked.

When he opened his eyes, though, he stopped short. For once, that smirk of his was wiped from his face. Roxy glanced over to see what had caught his attention, and silently gasped. Natoka's weapon was drawn. That alone would have sent her running if she had been in Tazoka's position. What sealed the deal, though, were all of the other Pikachu and Thunder Clan members who had started to crowd around Natoka. Many of them also had their weapons drawn, and all of them had angry, defiant looks on their face.

Tazoka was easily outnumbered, despite his type's immunity to Electric attacks. Roxy felt herself go pale. Was there about to be a fight? Was she about to be caught in the middle of a fight?! Now, more than ever, she wanted to run away from this scene. Her legs, however, remained firmly locked in place.

The Excadrill gave the surrounding Pokémon a wary glance. He was holding his position, looking like he was halfway from both baring his claws and standing down. Roxy could see him silently calculating the situation.

Finally, the tense silence was broken. "Choose your actions carefully, Natoka," Tazoka said in a slow, deliberate voice.

Natoka stared at him for a few more tense seconds, then simply said one word to him. "Leave."

Tazoka glanced at the Pokémon one last time, and then finally took a few steps back. He didn't hold up his claws in surrender, like he had done the last time Roxy had seen him, but he did smirk once more and start chuckling. "Very well," he murmured, "Very well…"

Then, without a single word from anybody else, Tazoka turned and walked away. A few Pikachu followed at a distance to make sure he actually left the village, but no-one else paid the Excadrill any mind.

Roxy breathed a huge sigh of relief. She felt sick to her stomach. That scene could have easily devolved into fighting, which would have meant defending herself, which probably would have resulted in her getting hurt. What's more, Makari hadn't been there.

She swore under her breath, trying to calm down as the other Pokémon started to disperse. Natoka remained behind to speak with Ozu. Roxy could hear the Pokémon talking among one another, but she couldn't hear anything specific. Mostly she was just focused on her racing mind. What did this encounter, this incident, mean? What would happen? Suddenly, Roxy was a little more wary of the Excadrill and his Ground-type friends.

"Roxy?"

The young Pikachu started slightly and glanced up. She noticed that everyone else had left, leaving her alone in the clearing with the two Raichu, and they were looking over at her. "Oh! Um…Hello."

"Good afternoon, Roxy," Ozu greeted her.

"Did you witness what just transpired?" Natoka asked.

Roxy nodded, a frown on her face. "What…What's gonna happen?"

Natoka sighed in frustration and shook his head. "I do not know…"

"He was trying to exert his tribe's dominance over ours," Ozu observed, "They have never done such a thing before."

"We craft agreements with them out of necessity," Natoka said, though Roxy could hear a hint of loathing in his voice, "But he cannot expect us to bow to his demands like this."

"Of course not, I agree…" Ozu replied, "And yet…"

Roxy shivered. "I hope…this doesn't mean trouble…"

Natoka shook his head once more. "It should not. We will still provide them with food when the time comes. We have no interest in breaking this agreement. It shall only be broken by their paws."

"Y-yeah…" Roxy murmured softly, "I hope so…"

Roxy wandered about for another hour, constantly checking over her shoulders. The confrontation in the clearing had shaken her, and she wanted somebody to talk to about it. Luckily, her day began to take a turn for the better when she saw that 'somebody' walking nearby.

She sprinted as fast as she could, dashing towards the hut that she currently called home, and let out a joyful cry. "Makari!" Roxy then leapt through the air and tackled the other Pikachu in a tight hug, sending them both tumbling through the doorway and sprawling onto the ground inside.

Makari blinked in confusion for a moment, laying on his back underneath Roxy, but then smiled when he saw who she was. He hugged her back and chuckled. "Goodness, Roxy… Is that a new fighting technique Taka has taught you?"

Roxy laughed and nuzzled the Pikachu that she had pinned beneath her. She giggled as his Static tickled her, and then the two found themselves gazing into one another's eyes. Without a second thought, the two shared another kiss.

"I missed you…" Roxy whispered as she nuzzled him some more. She realized that she was probably being overly affectionate, but she didn't care.

"I missed you as well," he replied, gently stroking her back, "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I took a bath in the river, had a chat with Kiga."

His eyes opened wider. "You bathed in the river all by yourself? Roxy, that is fantastic!"

Roxy blushed a little and smiled. "Y-yeah, I guess… I took one of your spears with me… I hope that was okay."

"But of course. Feel free to take one any time you need it."

"I musta been too late for Taka, though, because he wasn't at the training spot when I got there, and I haven't seen him all day."

"Ah…" Makari replied with a nod, "I figured as much. It was my fault, anyway. I will talk with him."

Roxy giggled and nuzzled his nose. "I liked the vacation, though."

There were a few seconds of silence as the two laughed and shared one another's company. Eventually, though, Makari requested that he could sit up. Once he did, he gave Roxy a serious look.

"Did something happen today?"

Roxy frowned and nodded.

"But you are okay?"

She gave him a demure smile and nodded once more.

"That is what is most important."

Now she was really blushing. She then spent some time telling him about Tazoka's unexpected arrival and what had happened. Makari listened with a stoic expression the whole time. She couldn't tell if he was just being thoughtful, or if he looked grim.

"That is troubling news," he commented once she was finished, "I wish I had been there."

"Wh-what d'you think's gonna happen?" Roxy asked, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice, "Are they gonna attack? Is there gonna be, like a tribe war?"

"Calm down, Roxy. Let us not get ahead of ourselves. This is not the first time our agreement has been…strained. Cooler heads usually prevail."

"I hope you're right…Tazoka scares the jeebees outta me!"

Makari chuckled softly and gave her a smile. "Do not worry, Roxy. Things will work out, I am sure. I doubt that the wise ones would do anything rash."

"Right…They said that they'd still give next month's food payment."

"Yes, exactly. This is an insult towards us, to be sure, but we are not petty Pokémon. On the other paw, they should also know that we are not pushovers."

Roxy smiled and gave him an adoring look. "Especially not Pokémon as strong as you, Makari."

Now it was his turn to blush. "Hey…There are many in this village who are stronger than me."

She gave him a playful shove. "None that I have seen."

"Shows what you know," he said with a grin, "I am being pushed around by a little pet."

She giggled. "Maybe you're right," she said, leaning in so that her nose was almost touching his, "Take me over there and I'll beat them all up!"

"Hoorah! The saviour of the Thunder Clan!"

The two held each other's gaze for a moment, then broke out laughing. Roxy leaned in and hugged Makari, and soon after the two shared another tender kiss. Roxy giggled at the touch of his lips and the feel of his paws gently petting her.

Roxy melted into his embrace. She felt all of her worries washing away once again. Makari was back and she couldn't be happier. The world was perfect right now and she wanted nothing to change. Nothing could possibly ruin a moment like this.

Makari broke the kiss and glanced to the side. Roxy followed his gaze, then felt all of the colour drain from her form. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw what was at the door.

Standing there, staring at them with an expression conveying a hundred different emotions at once, was Taka. His mouth wasn't open and his eyes weren't wide, but there were a thousand words being expressed in his gaze alone. Roxy saw confusion, anger, frustration, and maybe even disgust and disappointment. All Roxy could think about was that Taka had just walked in on her lip locked with his brother. Yet another notch was added to her constantly growing scale of embarrassment.

"H…Hi, Taka…" she murmured lamely.

Taka glanced between them a couple of times. His brow was set hard, but his breathing was even and even though she could see his emotions, he didn't express them outwardly. He looked almost calm, though Roxy got the feeling that a thousand thoughts were flying through his head. Such was certainly the case with her. Finally, he levelled his gaze on her, making her gasp slightly. His piercing gaze almost felt like it had struck her right through the chest like an arrow.

"Do not be late tomorrow," was all he said before turning and walking away.